Romelu Lukaku only ended up moving to Inter Milan because Paulo Dybala failed to agree a move to Manchester United from Juventus, claims Lukaku’s agent, Federico Pastorello.
Last summer there were multiple transfer sagas at Old Trafford, with Lukaku’s departure for Inter Milan one of the most drawn out and dramatic.
The Belgian eventually left for €80m (£74m) but came close to moving to Juventus, with Dybala coming the other way.
The Argentine forward was widely expected to leave Juventus last summer, being linked with United and Tottenham, but eventually stayed put in Turin.
It was this that allowed Inter to steal a march on their Serie A rivals and pick up Lukaku, who has been a big hit at the club, scoring 23 goals in 35 games in all competitions.
Pastorello has explained the situation but also praised Inter for showing his client that he would be more valued there than at any other team.
‘If Lukaku is wearing the Inter shirt today, it’s only because of Paulo Dybala’s failure to join Manchester United,’ Pastorello told Sky Sports Italia.
‘Romelu wanted to leave the Premier League and move to a club where he felt loved,
‘He immediately noticed the affection and warmth of the Inter fans compared to those of Juve, and this made the difference.
‘Lukaku’s arrival at Juve would have pleased many fans, but for Inter his engagement instead represented a turning point after the arrival of Antonio Conte, the intention to try to start a winning cycle.
‘He perceived this immediately, even on social media. He felt wanted at Inter. Conte put a lot of pressure on the club to have the player.’
Dybala has scored 13 goals in 34 games for Juve this season as they top Serie A during the coronavirus hiatus.
The 26-year-old has tested positive for the virus, along with his girlfriend Oriana, but sent a positive message out on their current health.
‘Both Oriana and I have tested positive,’ Dybala wrote on Instagram. ‘Luckily we are in perfect conditions.’
MORE: Why Manchester United missed out on Luka Modric transfer
Follow Metro Sport across our social channels, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
from Football – Metro https://ift.tt/3bkTMUA
No comments:
Post a Comment